Blog Archives

1958Airman Donald Farrell is sealed in a cramped steel chamber at the School of Aviation Medicine, Randolph AFB, to simulate a space flight. The air pressure is half of what it is at sea level and Airman Farrell cannot stand up nor lie down. His test lasts for seven days.

1964
The Beatles make their American television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show, broadcast on KENS Channel 5 at 7:00 p.m (right). 45.3% of U.S. TV households tune in, representing 73 million people — a record for an entertainment program up to that time.

1985
Tom Wopat from TV’s “Dukes of Hazzard” performs with Michael Martin Murphey at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.

1941
A permit is issued for the installation of escalator at Joske’s – San Antonio’s first.

1951
The naming of Victor Alessandro as new permanent musical director and conductor of the San Antonio Symphony was announced by Symphony President Jesse H. Oppenheimer.

1985 – SNOW!
Just after midnight, it began to snow in San Antonio. It snowed all night and most of the next day, finally dropping a record 13 inches of the white stuff on the Alamo City. The previous record was 4.7 inches on January 30, 1949. The Taco Cabana at San Pedro and Hildebrand stays open, too!

1909
Rather than have the children of the poor steal wood from the premises of the city hospital, Mayor Callaghan announced this morning that he would willing issue and order giving a quantity of wood to the needy.

1942
Sale of new passenger cars and trucks was prohibited throughout the U.S. today under government orders mobilizing the entire auto industry for war production.

1985
The Alamo City receives 2.4 inches of snow for the first time since January 1982 and the highest total since 3.1 inches on Feb. 22, 1966.

1942
The first law requiring automobiles in Bexar County to be titled and registered takes effect.

1944
The Randolph Field Ramblers, a team made up of former college athletes serving in the military, play the University of Texas to a 7-7 tie in the Cotton Bowl. This is the only San Antonio team to ever play in the Cotton Bowl and this was the first tie in the bowl game’s history. Only 15,000 spectators witnessed the game due to heavy rain.

1985
Due to a new state law in effect today, San Antonio drivers of passenger cars or light trucks carrying a child not secured in a car seat will be subject to a fine of between $25 and $50.

1927
A candle burning at the altar of the Chapel of Miracles, 113 Ruiz street, set fire to the interior of the little church this morning and caused considerable damage before firemen extinguished the blaze.

1952
A mechanized version of the old west’s pony express was inaugurated this morning to provide hourly mail service to a southwest Texas route extending over 2,500 miles – a fleet of four multi-ton “portable bus postoffices” – 35 feet long with 12-cylinder engines. Many San Antonians braved rainy weather to attend a pre-inaugural ceremony held locally at Alamo Plaza.

1985
Radio stations KONO and KITY are sold by Mission Broadcasting Co. to Dallas-based Duffy Broadcasting Co., ending 60 years of continuous ownership by the Roth family.

1952
A change of location for tomorrow’s ground-breaking program for the Congregation Agudas Achim’s new synagogue and school building was announced by Rabbi Sidney Guthman. The new synagogue will be located near Jefferson High School at Donaldson & St. Cloud streets.

1968The 13,000 sq. ft. Handy Andy store #29 in the Colonies North Shopping Center holds its grand opening. (This store would later be San Antonio’s first Whole Foods grocery store and is now Big Lots.)

1985
Karen Teresa Daidone is believed to be the first test tube baby born in San Antonio.

1914
The University of Texas is trying to schedule a Thanksgiving Day game next fall with Notre Dame. If Notre Dame accepts, it is fairly certain that the Longhorns will play Haskell in San Antonio sometime in the two weeks before Thanksgiving.

1939
J. Frank Dobie, author and historian, delivered a scathing criticism of Pompeo Coppini’s Alamo cenotaph and commented: “There is one good thing about the monument. Nobody can see it from the door going into the Alamo.”

1985
Trinity University has “A Conversation with Cary Grant” at Laurie Auditorium. It is Mr. Grant’s last visit to the Alamo City. He passed away prior to a similar show in Davenport, Iowa on November 29, 1986.

1928
The Fox Company retail store at 209 Alamo Plaza is destroyed by fire resulting in $150,000 damage and the death of a night watchman. The film developing and mail order business of the Fox Company at 1734 Broadway is not affected.

1963
The San Antonio Light reports that open house for the dedication by President Kennedy of the new Air Force School of Aerospace medical buildings at Brooks Air Force Base will start at 11 a.m. Thursday. A variety of space age displays will be on view, including a display of the X15 research rocket plane and the X20 Dyna-Soar manned space craft.
1983
“A Christmas Story” debuts at the Galaxy and Century South theaters. “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.”

1985
“The Far Side” and “Calvin & Hobbes” first appear in the San Antonio Express-News, replacing “Porterfield” and “Pavlov,” respectively.

1918 – World War I
The influenza report issued this morning shows great improvement. Only six new cases of influenza were admitted to the base hospital at Ft. Sam Houston. Two deaths were reported also. Camp Travis admitted 49 new cases of flu with two deaths. Twenty-three recovered patients were sent back to duty.

1985
San Antonio voters reject the campaign to fluoridate the water supply, leaving San Antonio as the only major city in Texas without the tooth decay preventative.

1990
Ground is broken on the Alamodome, located on the former Alamo Iron Works site and adjacent property, on the east side of Interstate 37 and across from the HemisFair Park area.

1918 – World War I
The San Antonio newspapers are full of advertisements for patent medicines like Hyomei and Tanlac that are certain to prevent or cure infection from the current influenza epidemic.

1939The River Beautification Project, with Robert Hugman as architect, breaks ground. This project creates the San Antonio Riverwalk as we know it today.

1985
George “The Iceman” Gervin is traded to the Chicago Bulls for journeyman forward David Greenwood. “I really wanted to finish my career in San Antonio, but I found out that wishin’ doesn’t help. Maybe I should have prayed,” said Gervin to the Express-News on the trade.

Friday, February 22, 2019 Come in and apply for jobs online and do job searches. Learn how to make a resume and prepare for interviews. Make an appointment time for individual help on a resumes. Address: 3350 E. Commerce, San Antonio, TX 78220 Phone: (210) 207-9180 Branch Location: Carver Library Room: Learn Center Event Type(s): Classes (Computer) Staff Con […]

Friday, February 22, 2019 Celebrate Black History Month by competing in our friendly word search game! Grab a game sheet from staff, then use the clues to find the last name of the famous person being described. If you find all of the names, then submit your completed word search to staff at the circulation desk to get your candy prize. The deadline to enter […]

Friday, February 22, 2019, 11am – 12pm Qigong is a holistic system of coordinated body posture and movement, breathing, and meditation used for health and spirituality. Due to the nature of the class, participants arriving late will not be admitted. Address: 1122 W. Pyron Ave., San Antonio, TX 78221 Phone: (210) 207-9150 Branch Location: Pan American Library […]

Friday, February 22, 2019, 3 – 4pm Address: 530 Heimer, San Antonio, TX 78232 Phone: (210) 207-9030 Branch Location: Brook Hollow Library Room: Children's Event Type(s): Family Fun Audience: Kids, Family Additional Info: Children are invited to the Brook Hollow Library to read to a dog! Do you have any favorite animal stories you would like to read? […]